Valve for counter-pressure bottle-filling machines.



No. 833,365." v v PATENTED OCT. 16, 1906.

I 0.1.. BASTIAN.

VALVE FOR COUNTER PRESSURE BOTTLE FILLING MACHINES.

APPLIOATION FILED APB-12' 1905. RENEWED SEPT. '7, 1906 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Fig-1 PATENTED 00116, 1906.

c. L. BA$TIAN. VALVBFOR COUNTER PRESSURE BOTTLE FILLING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.1 2, 1905. RENEWED SEPT. 7, 1906.

3 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

PATENTED OCT. 16, 1906.

, G.-L. BAS'ITIAN. I VALVE FOR COUNTER PRESSURE BOTTLE FILLING MACHINES.

APPLIGATION FILED APR-12, 1905. RENEWED SEPT 7, 1906 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CHARLES L. BASTIAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESEJE ASSIGNMENTS, TO BOTTLERS MACHINERY iVLiNUFACTUR-ING COlv PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF lILLlNOIS.

VALVE FOR COUNTER-PRESSURE BOTTLE-"FELLENG MAEEEEMES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Yatented Oct. 16, 1906.

Application filed April 12, 1905. Renewed September 7, 1906. Serial Ho. 338,716.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES Ll BASTIAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves for Counter-Pressure Bottle-Filling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the art of counterpi'essure bottle-filling machines wherein the bottles are filled With a liquid which is maintaincd during the entire filling operation subject to the influence of pneumatic pressure 'in order to check bubbling and foaming and insure the filling of the bottle with the solid liquid.

Among the salient objects of the invention are to provide an improved valve mechanism whereby the, bottle may be filled with great cclerity. and despatch; to provide a mechanism wherein the degree of pressure main tained in the bottle during the filling opera.- tion may be nicely regulated to such a degree as will serve to keep down foaming in each case, differentlywharged liquids requiring different degrees of pressure for such pur pose; to provide a valve mechanism wherein the discharge accompanying the snifting operation may be controlled and saved, thus rendering the machine less sloppy in operation and more economical when working upon valuable liquors; to provide a valvemechanism which maybe readil r adjusted to accommodate varying sizes 0 bottles such as quarts, pints, and splits'and generally to provide an improved valve mechanism of the type designated which shall be en tirely automatic in its action and reliable in its workings.

To these and other minor ends my invention consists in a novel valve mechanism for machines of the character specified possessing the novel feature of construction and mode of operation substantially as hereinafter described, and definitely pointed out in the appended claims.

The valve mechanism of my present invention is capable of application and advantageous employment generally in bottle-filling machines of that type employing a head or empty bottles into registeringengagement with said valves; but in order to render the 5 5 function and operation of mv improved valve mechanism entirely clear I have chosen to illustrate the same in connection. with a bottle-filling machine of the general type above referred to on which I haveheretofore, on the 13th day of February, 1905, filed an appiication for Letters Patent, Serial N c. 245

Referring to the accompanyingd which illustrate my invention in a preferred mechanical form, Figure l is an clo'vatlonal 6 5 Fig. 3 is a view, partly in elevation and partly 7o m vertical section, of the parts shown in Fig.

:2 in a plane at right angles to the plane of the latter figure. Fig. i is a ton plan view of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 a side eievational view corresponding to Fig. larly illusti ing an extension feature of the mechanism u hereby it is adapted to cooperate with bottles of varying Referring to the drawii 15's, and first briefly describing the general features of the filling: 8c

machine in which I have shown my present im rovements embodied, l0 designates a circu ar base-platc, on which rigidly mounted a stationary pedestal, comprising a hollow circular base member 11 and a lindrical member 12, which annul arly cored to form a compressed-air reservoir 13 and a central sleeve let, that constitutes an extend ed bearing for thc lower portion of a main upright shaft 15, stepped centrally-on base-plate l0, preferab y by means of anti friction-bearings, (indicated at 16. Resting on the upper end of the upright s raft-15 is a circular head in the form of a tank 17, closed by an air-tight lid. or coverlS. portion of the shaft'lfi has one or'more longitudinal feathers l9 and ben'eaththe latter a threaded portion 20. Secured to the under side of the tank 17 centrally thereof is a depending sleeve 21, which surrou I5 and hasone or more grooves k L119; the feather or feathers 19. On the lowerendcf the sleeve 21 is rctatably see red a tnutzfft, internally threaded to enga e. i'-lj.3 bl1T6fi-Ql5l v n s 1 portion 20 of the shaft, by rotating which nut 105 the tank may be raised or lowered relatively 3 and more particle vertical cy- 1.1 the 9G The upper 5 d5. the .aft ioo to the upper end of the shalt 15 while still -maintaining its driven relation to the latter.

the cylinders 27 is a piston or plunger 28 on the lower end oi a piston-rod 20, the upper end of which latter carries a shoe 30, adapted to support a' bottle 31. Surrounding the shaft 15, between the upper end of the pedestal and the lower end of the sleeve 24, are a pair of annular-ported valve members, the lower of which (designated by 32) is stationary, being secured to the top otthe pedestal, and the upper of which (designated by 33) is rotary, being driven from the sleeve 24 by cooperating vert' ral lugs 34 and 35 on said parts,- respectively. From the rotary valve member 33 extend a series of suitably-bent pipes 36, serving: to conduct compressed air to and from the air-lift cylinders 27.

The lower stationary valve member 32 is provided with an inlet air-passage 32 and an outlet air-passage 32", both of which are arcshaped. To the inlet-passage 32" air is ad mitted fromnthe reservoir l3'throur'h a porta;, and. from the exhaust-passage 32 air is discharged through a port 2. The inlet-passage 32" communicates through a port a." with ports 1 in. the upperrotary valve member, the latter ports connnunicating with the pipes 36-, and: these ports 1 communicate throirsrl'i port I/ with. the exhzuistpassage 52. When a port 1 in the upper rotary valve member registers with the port :r in the lower stationarv valve member, air will flow. into the cylinder connected by the pipe P6 with said port 1 to raise the bottle, and when this port 1 during the rotation o'rbthe upper valve member reg isters with the port 1 in the lower stationary valve member the air in the, lift-cylinder will escape through the exhaust-port 2. i

The cover 1.8.ot the tank-head has a contrally-disposed. fluid-inlet pipe 37, which extends to within a short. distance of the bottom of the tank, and is further provided with a short tube-"l8 set therein, adapted to permit thedischar re of air as the liquid enters up to a certain point, said tube being prbvidedon. its lower 'cnd with a valve-seat 3:1, and in the tank is a hinged lloat- 35), which carries a valve 40, adapted to close and open said valve-seat on the rise ol the fluid, and thereby I confine the body of air remaining in thctank above th liquid, and thus by creating a pressure equal to the hydrostatic head of the incoming liquid to thereby ar est the inllovv of such liquid until the height in thc tank is lowered by the filling,- ol the bottles; into this space air discharged from the bottles ilows, and such exec. is rclicved autonmtically as the liquid l'alls, since the l'allinp ol' the Heat retracts the valve from its scat,

thereby allmving a fresh flow of liquid to the tank untll a like condition of balance 15 again reached.

The base of the tank 17 has an annular se rles of openings 17 termed therethrough,

' which-are covered by the bottle1"illin valvenates a plate that may be secured to the baseof the tank in a fluid-tight manner, as by means of screws or bolts 42. Depending, from the plate 41 are a pair of parallel suspension-rods 43, having heads or nuts 44 on their lower ends, on which is slidingly supported by apertured lateral ears 45 a valveblock 46. The plate 4.1 and valve-block 4.6 are centrally apertured to slidingly it a tube 47, mounted therein and packed against leakage by suitable shilling-boxes i8 and 4.). Between the glands ol said stutlingboxes is interposed a compression coil-spring 50, and fast on the tube 47 inside the spring 50 is a collar 5]., constituting a lower abutment for an inner smaller coil-spring 52, the upper end ol which also abuts against the gland of the upper stul'lingdmx 48. The upper end of the tube 47' is surnumnted by a valve plate or disk 53, the lower operative face of which is provided with a fibrous or other packing-ring 54, innncdiately beneath which the walls of the tube 47 are provided with one or more ports 55. The valve-block 46 is cored to l'orm a series of valve-mntrolled passages and doc-ts which control the passage of compressed air l rom the head or tank 17 into the bottles and the egress of such compressed-air from the latter as the bottles are filled, subpair ol vertical passage-ways arranged on diametrically o' posite sides of the central tube 47, in the tormer of which is inserted a veinvalve 58 and in the latter a plug-valve 59, having an operating-handle 6i). The lower ends of the passage-ways 5i? and 57 both connect, by horizontalducts (it and (52, respectively, with a central vertica? annuiar opening 63, extending through the lower end of the valve-block and surrounding the central tube 47. Behind and betwixt-en the vertical passage-ways 56 and 57 is cored a vertical cylindrical clunubcr (i4, l igs. 3 and 4, in which is a rod 65, having fast thereon a pair of piston-heads (56 and ($7, separated by a sleeve on said rod.- Said rod 65 extends above the valvc-block and is provided on its-upper end with a head or nut 68, which engages the bottom of the tank l 7. ()n therod 65 and bctwcel'i its head (it; and a cross-piece (i4, lined in the upper end ot the cylinder 64, is a coil-spring 9 normally tending to maintain the pistons 66 and 67 in the elevated position shown in Fig. 3 and the head ('58 in contact ceases With the bottom of the tank. flhecasing or cylinder of the cylindrical chamber 64 has laterallyprojectingnozzles 70 and 71 the former of which has an axial duct 72 tapping the cylindrical chamber substantially mid way of its length, while the latter has an axial duct 73 tapping saidncha'm berat its lower end.

ducts 74; and 75, Fig. t, the former leading to the upper end of the vein-valve 58 and the latter to the upper end offthevertical passage 57 above the plug valve .59. The inlet-noz- Ale 70 is connected bya flexible hose 76, Fig. l, with the interior of the tank 17 at or near its upper end, while the dischargcenozzle '72 has attached thereto a similar flexible hose 7.7, that depends therefrom and debouches' into an annular trough 78, secured to the central pedestal l2 substantially opposite the lower ends of. the air-cylinders, The lower end of the valve-block 46 has an externallythreaded depending flange 46, within which is secured an annular rubbergasket 79, confined in place bya ring 80, screwed into the flange 46. V

The lower face oi the gasket and the open-- ing of the ring are beveled or'concayed, as shown in Fig. 2,.to form a suitable seat for air-tight engagement with the upper end of a bottle, and in order to insure the entrance of the tubes 47 into the necks of-the bottles, as

wellas to accurately guide the latter into per;

feet registration with the valve seat, I preferably employ a bell 81, carried by a bracket 82, that is mountedto slide freely on'a vertical rod 83, that passes through apertures in upper and lower lugs 82 .82? of the bracket, said rod being reniovably secured at its upper and lower ends to thebase of the tank and the revolving bottle-carrier, respectively. The upper contracted 'end of the bell 81 is axially apertu red to receive theldepcnding filling-tube 47, the bell passing over, said tube as it rises. end of the bell is of somewhatggreater diam? eter than the upper end of the neck of the bottle, so that the latter in registering With the valve-seat passes entirely through the bell, engaging the latter by the sides-of the neck, shown at the right in Fig. 1.

The operation of the machine, brieflyde scribed, is as follows. Assuming that the airrcservoir 13 is charged with compressed'air (which may be effected by means of an air; pump 13, indicated in Fig. 1 and more particularly disclosed in the application hereinbefore referred to, or b any other convenient meansland that't e machine is otherwise in condition for operation, the liquid to be filled is'allowed to flow into the tank and, raising the float 39 and closing the valve 40, compresses the air above its surface to a degree of pressure equaling the hydrostatic The opening in the upper the tube.

head or pressure of the liquid at'its source of supply. The pistons 66 and 67 of the valve mechanism being in. the relative positions shown in Fig. 3, the compressed air in the" tank is held against escape so long as the bottle-filling valve mechanism is in its lowermost position shown therein. The shoes of V y Y the air-lifts being supplied with bottles and From the chamber. 64, at,a,.pointslightly below the inlet of the duct 72 thereto extendf the machine being started in operation, as soon as each of the ducts f the upper revolving air-valve ineinba asses into registration with the inletport of the lower stationary valve member 32 the compressed air from the reservoir flows instantly through the .tube 36 to the under side of the piston. 28, causing the. latter to rise carrying with itthe ..superposed bottle 31.

As soon as the neck of the bottle engages the bell 8] it is centered by the latter, (if not previously in true axial being guided by the suspension-rods 4.3,,0n

which it slides. As soon as the Valve-block has risen sufhciently to lower the piston 67 to a point beneath the lateral ducts 74i,and 75 the inlet-passage 72 is placed in connnunica tion with saidducts, whereupon the compressed air above the fluid in the head or tank passes freely add quickly through the duct 74, vein-valve fit-3', duct 61, and annular passage (33 to tire interior of the bottle, the compressed air to a more limited extent also finding its way tra ough the ducts 7 5, 57, and 62 to' the annular passage 63 ind the interior of the bottle, the extent of tlii latter flow depending upon the extent to which the plugvalve 59 is set to throttle and limit the flow. In this manner equilibrium of pressure in the. head and bottle is quickly established before .the lion of liquid begins. (in the still further upward rise of the valve-block 46 the gla'nd o'f the lower packing-box 49 strikes the collar 51, which is fast on the tube 47, and raises the valve 53, thus allowing flow of the liquid to be charged into the bottle through the opening or openings 50 and the interior of By reason of the described equilibrium of pressure in the tank and bottle this flow occurs solely by gravity, which, together with the condensed condition of theair sur rounding said liquid, eliminates the bubbling and foaming that would otherwise occur or reduces it to a iniuimui'n. The function of the plug-valve 59 is to rcgiilatc and restrict the speed of the air-discharge from the botties on. the liquid coiruncncing to How, and by thus impeding the fall or flow of the li uid to still fiu'tluu' prevent foaming, provi ing, in fact, a mechanical means of retarding the llow in addition to the physical means the pneumatic pressure in the head.)

provided by the establishment of equal pressure in the tank-head and bottles, since by throttling down the air-egress passage suliiciently a greater pressure can be created in the bottles than exists in the head, (due to the gravity sheet of the liquid in addition to Bv the time each bottle is fully cl'iarged. with. liq uid the air-lift cylinder has been carried out of communication. with the inlet or compressed air and into communication with the exhaust, whereupon the bottle-lift begins to descend. With the descent of the valveblock 46 (forced downwardly by the spring 50) and just before the bottle breaks its connection with the valve-seat 79 the lower piston 67 uncovers the mouth of the duct 75, thus permitting such air or gas pressure as remains in the neck of the bottle to blow out by a quick movement through the passages 63 62 57, port of the plug-valve 59, passage 75, cylinder 64-, and exhaust-passage 73 into the drip-tube 77, thus ei'l'ectin the shifting of the bottle. So much of the i uid as is thus blown oil in the final operation is directed by the drip-tube 77 into the stationary trough 78, from which latter it may be discharged or Withdrawn as desired, such residue in the case of valuable liquors being saved and re turned to the original source of supply.

Each bottle while undergoing the al)ovedescribed operation travels around approxi mately three-quarters oi a single revolution of the machine, the lilled bottles being withdrawn From' the shoes oi the air-lilts in succession either by hand or automatically by means of a star-wheel 85, herein indicated. as lying across the path of said bottles, such star-wheel and its operating mechanism being described in my former application hercinbeiorc referred to.

The vertical adjustability oi the head or tank relative to its supportirig-standard by means of a nut 22 and thrmnled portion of the standard. provides i'or unevcnnesses or irregularities in the heights of the bottles to be filled. My improved valve mechanism is also provided with means wln-ncby it may be employed in the lilling of bottles of widely-.

varying sizes, such as quarts, pints, and splits. The adaptation of said valve mechanism to this 'lunction is illustrated more particularly in l ig. 5. The mechanism as shown in Fig. 2 may be assumed to adapt the machine For the lilling oi" quart bottles. 'lo eilect the filling 01' pint bottles, the ring 80 maybe removed from the lower end ol the valve-block and substituted by an extension member 84, having on its upper end a ring 80, screwing onto the lower cnd ol' the valveblock and having its lower end lormed and equipped in all respects similar to the lower end of the valve-block, as l litili. shown in Fig. 5. For the lilling ol' hall-pintlxottles'or "splitsa eimilar extension member, but ol greater length, may be employed, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5.

The leading advantages of the bottle-filling valve mechanism hereinabove described are, first, that it produces a ver rapid equalization of pressure between tie head and the bottle as soon as the latter is registered therewith, thus requiring a minimum delay in the flow of the liquid to the bottle; secondly, by means of the plug-valve the air seeking to escape from the bottle as the li uid enters may be throttled down to any esired extent, such as experiment may prove necessary in each case to increase the pressure and retard the flow, and thus keep down bubbling and foamin of the liquid; thirdly, it effects a snifting oi the bottles before the latter are released from en agement therewith, thus eliminating the s oppy condition that usually characterizes machines of this type, besides effecting a considerable economy in the case of valuable liquors in the conservation of that portion discharged in the snifting operation.

It being evident that the specific details of the mechanism as herein shown and described might be considerably modified and varied by those skilled in the art without departing from the true principle of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof 1 do not limit myself to the particular mechan ical embodiment of the invention herein shown, except to the extent indicated by speciiic claims.

I claim 1. In a c -cr-pressure filling-machine, the combination with a li uid-tank and a filling-tube depending therefrom, of a ovable valve-block surrounding said filling-tithe and I having l'ormed therein an air-passage divided into two separate branches, each branch communicating at one end with the tank and at the other end with the article to be 'lillcd, a check-valve in one branch of said air-passage, a throttle-valve in the other branch, and a cut-off valve in said valveblock normally closing said airassage but operable upon the rise of the Va ve-block to open the same.

2. In a counter-pressure filling-machine, the combination with a li uid-tank and a filling-tubc depcndingthere rem, of a movable valve-block surrounding said filling-tube and having formed therein a divided air-passage communicating at one cnd'with the tank and at the other end with the article to be filled, a

a throttle-valve in the other branch, anda stationary cut-oil valve in the valve-block intersecting and normally closing said airpassagc but operable upon the rise of the valve-block to open the same. i 3. in a filling-machine, the combination of a liquid-tank, a filling-tube depending, l therefrom, a liquid-valve, a movable valvecheck-valve in one branch of said air-passage,

.hloch surrounding said filling-tube, :1 norimellv closed sir connection between the tank end the bottle being lilled, and relatively arranged to hold the piston in fixed position as the valve-block moves upward to thereby open the a1r-connectnm.,end a spring holding Sdld rod and piston in hxed position on the downward movement oi" the valvc-bloclif in e counter-pressure iilling'nmchine, the combination with a licuicbtank, of everticellynnovslule valve-bloc r depending there fr in and having formed therein an sir-pas-- divided into two branches, each branch connnunicitting at one end with said tank and the other end with. the article to be filled, a cuto il valve in said valve-block o iieinble to open. the sir-passage when the hive-block is raised, e check-valve in one branch of said air-passage, athrttlowalve in the other branch thereof, s vertically-mow :ihlc iilling-tube depending from said tank and slideblv engaging said velveb1ock, a, valve on the upper end of said filling-tube controlling the flow of liquid to and throughthe latter, end means whereby ssid fillingtube and its vsive raised by valveblock (lining the upward n'iovement of the letter, i o

in it oountenprcssure iillingmischine, the combination. with c liinlid-tonlr, of a verticeliymoovehle and velve-controlled fillingtube depending therefrom, 2L verticeilymmvshlc volve-biocli surrounding sstid fillingtube, said valve-block being provided with a.

valved air-passage to communicate the sure in the tank to the article to be lled, and with a shifting-passage communicating with said air-passage, and means for causing said article to engage and raise said valve- V block and thereby open the filling-tube and said passages.

7, In a counter-pressure filling-machine, the combination with a liquid-tank, and a valve-controlled lilling-tube depending therefro in, of a vertically-movable valve-block surrounding said filling-tube, said valve-block being provided with an air-passagediv1ded into two branches, each branch communicating at one end with said tank and at the other end with the article to he filled, and

also with a shifting-passage communicating with said sir-passage, checksvalve inone branch of said air-passage, a throttle-valve in the other branch thereof, and a cut-ofi valve controlling both said sir-passage and said si'iiftingpassage.

8. In a counter-pressure fillingsnechinc, the combination with a liquid-tank, and a valve-controlled filling-tube depending therefrom, of a verticaliysnoveble valve-blocksurrounding said filling-tube, said valveblock being provided with e divided air-pas sage communicating at one end with said tank and at the other end with the article to be filled, and also with a shifting-passage communicating with said an" passage, a

check-valve in one branch of said air-passage, a throttle-valve in the otherbranch thereof, and :1, cutso'li valve which, in the lowest posi tion of tn; v alveblock closes said air-passage and opens said shifting-passage, and in the raised or filling position of said valve-block opens said air-passage and closes said snifting-passage.

onARLEs L. BASTIAN. Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. POND, FREDERICK G. Goonwm.

res 

